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Governor’s rule in J-K as PDP, BJP talks in limbo
Governor’s rule was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which emerged as the single-largest party, and the BJP failed to come together to form the government.
Governor’s rule was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which emerged as the single-largest party, and the BJP failed to come together to form the government.
President Pranab Mukherjee gave his formal concurrence in this regard after the Centre received a report from the state governor NN Vohra. Omar Abdullah also hastened the process by requesting the governor to relieve him as caretaker chief minister of the state.
An official statement in Jammu said governor’s rule was imposed in the state under Section 92(1) of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution under which this can be done by issuing a proclamation after the governor is satisfied about the failure of constitutional machinery in the state.
The governor held consultations with the leadership of PDP and BJP in the past two weeks. However, no party or group of parties staked claim to form the next government in the state.
The PDP had emerged as the single largest party with 28 MLAs and the BJP was the runner-up with 25 seats in the new assembly.
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s PDP and Omar Abdullah’s National Conference have blamed each other for governor’s rule.
“It is Omar Abdullah’s irresponsible attitude which precipitated the situation and pushed the state into an avoidable spell of governor’s rule. It is not for the first time that Abdullahs have done this. A similar thing was done by Farooq Abdullah when he shrugged from his constitutional responsibility in 2002,” said PDP spokesman Nayeem Akhtar.
Abdullah tweeted that the state had to go under governor’s rule despite an election with a record turnout.
“I am sorry after an election with such a good turnout we have a situation of Governor’s rule but as I’ve maintained the onus lies with @jkpdp,” Abdullah said.
The PDP did not consider forming government with former ally Congress despite an open offer of support from the party.
National Conference and number of independents had also offered support to the PDP to form government minus BJP. Senior leaders in PDP however maintained that a government minus Jammu voice (read BJP) would not be stable.
